Zoom+, which offers telemedicine, walk-in clinics, and health insurance as an integrated, tech-enabled offering in the Portland, Oregon area, has launched a new feature, Zoom+Care Chat. This allows Zoom+ users to get medical advice and even prescriptions via secure messaging. It also increases convenience for patients while also reducing the number of patients Zoom+ clinics need to see.

“Zoom+ has led the way in radicalizing access to healthcare for a decade now,” said Dr. Dave Sanders, CEO and cofounder of Zoom+. “As pioneers in the on-demand retail healthcare and performance health insurance space, we’re now trailblazing a new category of care with Zoom+Care Chat. We’re committed to making care faster, easier, and more affordable. We're breaking down the barriers so people can get care when and wherever they need it.”

Zoom+Care Chat works on smartphones, tablets, and computers. Patients can talk with a physician, neuropathic doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant for five to seven minutes. Providers can diagnose and treat a number of common conditions over chat and can also make prescriptions, and will schedule visits at Zoom+Care neighborhood clinics if the condition is beyond their ability to address. The chat history is saved and becomes part of the patient’s medical record.

The app can be used all over the World by members and people who have visited Zoom+ providers in the past three years. New users will have to be within an hour of an Oregon Zoom+Care clinic to get started. The service will start out free and will be open from 10 am to 9 pm Pacific time.

“We’re excited about Zoom+Care Chat,” says Dr. Albert DiPiero, chief medical officer and cofounder of Zoom+. “Research shows that access to care equates to better health, and Zoom+Care Chat provides instant access to online diagnosis and treatment by trusted professionals wherever people are. It’s like having a doctor in the family.”